Central African Airways Flight 890, a Vickers Viscount 745D, crashed during a scheduled passenger flight from Wadi Halfa, Sudan, to Benghazi, Libya, about nine kilometers southeast of Benina International Airport in Libya.[1][2] A total of forty-seven passengers and seven crew members were on board of whom only eighteen survived, making it the deadliest ever plane crash in Libya at the time of the accident. It still remains the deadliest accident for Central African Airways.[3]
 A Central African Airways Vickers Viscount | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 9 August 1958 |
| Summary | Pilot error |
| Site | near Benina International Airport |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Vickers Viscount 745D |
| Aircraft name | Mpika |
| Operator | Central African Airways |
| Registration | VP-YNE |
| Flight origin | Salisbury Airport |
| 1st stopover | Ndola Airport |
| 2nd stopover | Entebbe International Airport |
| 3rd stopover | Khartoum International Airport |
| 4th stopover | Wadi Halfa Airport |
| Last stopover | Benina International Airport |
| Destination | Heathrow Airport |
| Passengers | 47 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 36 |
| Injuries | Unknown |
| Survivors | 18 |
Cause of the crash
editAccording to an International Civil Aviation Organization accident digest, the plane crashed while making a nighttime approach to runway 33R, and while flying in clouds the pilot descended below a safe altitude, causing the aircraft to crash into high ground. While the reason for the quick descent remains unknown, it is believed the pilot may have misinterpreted the reading of his altimeter as a result of fatigue and possible indisposition.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "34 die when air liner crashes". The Evening Times. No. 25676. 9 August 1958. p. 1 – via books.google.com.
It is with great regret that Central African Airways Corporation announce that a report has been received that their Viscount aircraft, Flight CE890, operating from Salisbury to London, crashed near Benghazi airport, North Africa, at approximately 0114 hours G.M.T. to-day
- ^ "34 believed lost in airplane crash" (scan). The Gettysburg Times. Vol. 56, no. 189. AP. 9 August 1958. p. 3. Retrieved 17 August 2015 – via news.google.com.
- ^ a b Accident description via Aviation Safety Network (Original source "ICAO Accident Digest, Circular 59-AN/54 (171–178)). Retrieved 17 August 2015